Cracking the Ice
by EverythingButSleep
Summary: Erza Scarlet, just back from a long job wants nothing more than to be left alone with her thoughts. Shouldn't be too hard, it's the middle of the night. But who should she meet? None other than Gray Fullbuster. Erza discovers something about her friend's past that connects them. Swearing, angst. See warnings inside. Slight Grayza. Please read.
**Hey. This is my first Fairy Tail fanfiction. Got this idea a couple of days ago and it's been nagging at me ever since. Warnings: Swearing, mentions of slavery, human trafficking, physical abuse and death of a loved one. So expect some angst. Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did poor Gray would be tortured and Grayza would be constantly present. As it is...*sighs* Enjoy!**

It had been a long day for Erza Scarlet. She had gone on a mission to save a family tormented by a supposed Wraith. Which of course turned out to be a curse cast by a dark guild. Which of course had someone with magic that manipulated the mind. She chewed on her bottom lip as she walked through the streets of Magnolia.

The silence of the night left her with nothing but her thoughts and memories. Jellal. Every time she closed her eyes, he was there. It was worst after the Mind Magic. Her time in slavery haunted her so. The constant fear, the cries of men, women and children alike. She clenched her fist with the memories.

She shook her head, scarlet hair flipping around her face. She would not let them -her memories- defeat her after such a long time. No. She refused. She'd be strong, like her armour. Her feet stopped moving as she arrived at the guild. The symbol of her home, her family and friends, emblazoned on the building filled her with immediate comfort. She walked through the doors of the guild, her armour clinking slightly.

Empty. She knew it would be. It was the middle of the night. Good. She didn't have the energy now to be of good company. She walked up into the room the Master had given her. She dumped her luggage on the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed. She ran a hand over her face, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger.

The slavery was bad. But what was worse was the good memories. The happy times she shared with Gramps and Simon and... Jellal. Was he forever going to be in her head? Her heart ached as the image of him filled her mind. She needed two things right now : a hot bath and a slice of strawberry cheesecake. She'd get the bath first, it would relax her. She stripped down to her underwear and wrapped a towel around herself. She hummed quietly to herself as she walked towards the guild's bathroom. She opened the door and walked through.

The first thing she noticed was the temperature change; it was absolutely freezing in the room. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't the only one there. Sitting in the bathtub, head back and eyes closed, was the guild's ice mage. Then other things came to attention. The bath he was in was filled with water and chunks of ice. Then she seen her friend's face. Paler than usual, which served only to amplify the dark shadows under both of his closed eyes.

Sensing another presence, Gray opened one of his eyes. He stood up in shock (thankfully wearing boxers), water flowing from him.

"E-Erza!" He stuttered in shock, blinking at his Scarlet-haired friend.

"Gray" She replied calmly, although she was quite stunned as well.

"I-I thought I was the only one here. I-shit!" He swore.

She blinked and glared at him. "Language. Anyway... could I talk to you?" The words just flowed from her mouth. He blinked back at her. It was rare for Erza Scarlet to ask for a heart-to-heart.

"O-of course! Give me a sec" He stepped out of the bath and turned his back to her as he searched for a towel.

Erza had to force herself not to gasp aloud as her eyes scanned his muscular back. Thick, deep scars etched all across the pale flesh, shining silver under the light of the candles in the room. They ran from his shoulders down the entire length of his back, disappearing under the cover of his boxers and reappearing, striping the back of his legs as well. She recognized the only thing that could have caused them. She was haunted by the sound of it from her time in slavery. The lash of a whip. It was the only thing that could have caused damage like this.

"Erza you okay?" Gray looked back at her, having grabbed the towel and dried himself off.

"When did you get them scars?" She asked, her voice shaking a little. It didn't make sense. She had seen the ice mage strut around in just boxers many times before and yet she hadn't seen any scars. Yet the scars were so obviously old. It didn't add up.

"Shit! I didn't- Fuck!" He growled and kicked the side of the bathtub. He ran a hand through his raven hair and then sighed deeply. "It's not important Erza. It was a long time ago. What do you want to talk about?" He looked up at her and again she was struck at how exhausted her friend looked.

"This. Right now" she put her hands on her hips, chin raised defiantly.

"Erza I told you: it's nothing" He sighed.

"Those scars aren't nothing, Gray. Come" She walked out the bathroom and took a seat by the bar. He followed her, knowing he'd lost the debate. They sat in silence for a long time before he broke it.

"What do you want to know?" He asked.

She bit her lip as she studied him. He was clearly suffering through some mental torment and she knew that the answers weren't going to be good. But she had to know.

"Everything" She answered and he sighed deeply.

"My mother and father loved me very very much. But my father often worked. I had-have an uncle. He despised my father and seen him in me. He was not a nice man. Anytime I done the slightest thing wrong, he hit me. After Deliora, I knew I would be put in his care. He left the week before the attack and would return soon so when Ur offered to take me on, I jumped at the chance. After she...died, I went on the run. But he found me. As you can imagine, he was angry. After the beating, he set up an auction. I was sold to a slave master. I suppose I was lucky in that sense" Gray looked at his hands.

Erza stared at her friend. "In what sense?" She asked.

"I was going to be sold either way. Better a slave than..." he trailed off. Erza was filled with anger at this man who had beaten and then sold her friend.

"I was one of the youngest in our branch. We were working in a mine, supplying the majority of materials for the Tower of Heaven" Gray said and Erza gasped.

"The guards were cruel. I was clumsy. The whip was there. Nothing else to say really. There was a rebellion and I escaped. Gramps found me. He took me into Fairy Tail, cleaned my wounds, offered me a place to stay. I told him I was self-conscious about my scars. He taught me a concealment spell. That's it" Gray shrugged. There was silence yet again. And then Erza punched him.

"Oof! What was that for?!" He exclaimed in shock.

"Why would you keep that to yourself?!" She yelled.

"Like you can talk; you done the exact same!" He yelled back. They were now having a full-blown argument.

"I told you all" She defended.

"Only because you were forced to. Would you have told us otherwise?!" Gray growled, clenching his fists.

Would she have? No, she wouldn't have. It had made her feel weak and vulnerable, sharing the worst time of her life with her friends. She understood where Gray was coming from. And she had made him go through the exact same. Made him relive it all. She looked over at her friend. He had his jaw clenched, hair covering his eyes.

"How long were you there?" She asked softly.

"Just a few months" Gray's response was clipped.

"Why did you come here tonight?" She asked, putting a hand on his arm. He flinched.

"He normally comes looking for me around this time. I-I feel safer here. And..." His breath hitched.

"And?" She asked.

"I didn't know where else to go." Gray wiped his eyes quickly as tears started to form.

"What was it you wanted to talk about, anyways?" He cleared his throat.

"It doesn't matter now" Erza stared at him. There was just silence for a few minutes, so Erza stood up and went to go get her bath.

"Erza?" Gray asked.

"Yeah?" She turned to face him again.

"Please...please don't leave me alone " his voice cracked.

"Never" she walked back over and sat beside him, pulling him into a tight hug, resting his head on her shoulder. She stroked his raven hair .

"Get some rest. You need it. I'll stay with you" Erza promised.

"Erza? Thanks" Gray said, closing his eyes. Soon, his breath became shallow and his eyes closed. She stared at him. Her friend, maybe her best friend, sleeping peacefully on her shoulder. The one who had always been there for her, whenever she asked and when she didn't.

"He kinda looks cute when he's like this..." She said aloud.

Wait, what? Since when had she started thinking about him like that? She smiled and shook her head and then stifled a yawn. She was tired herself. She rested her head against his, listening to the sound of his breathing. Before long her own eyes flickered shut. Her dreams were memories of the two of them, as happy and peaceful as their unconscious forms were right then.

 **So? Whatcha think? Should I write more or leave it as a one-shot? It is entirely up to the feedback I get from you lovely people. I am waaaay behind in the manga and very behind in the anime (just met Daphne). Sooooo... I'm kinda clueless but let me know what you think. And to my friend, Mark, I finally wrote a fic you could read, now you can see how crappy my writing is :) Anywhoo please review so I know how this went. Byyee**


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